Scaling Innovation Sustainably: How Innovate Niagara Helps Entrepreneurs Build the Future
Serving the Niagara region, Innovate Niagara is one of Ontario’s 17 Regional Innovation Centres (RICs). The organization supports a diverse set of clients, including MERQ, Maeve and Shea, Shannon Passero, and many more who are working toward sustainable growth and innovation. In 2024, Innovate Niagara supported 12 companies by providing $20,000 in matching seed funding and up to 30 hours of mentorship to each company through the i.d.e.a. Fund™ , a program funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
Innovate Niagara plays a critical role in supporting clients enrolled in i.d.e.a. Fund™, acting not only as a facilitator but as a true partner in their growth. The team works closely with early-stage innovators to help them identify their most pressing needs and challenges, co-developing strategic solutions and work plans to address those priorities. Recognizing that founders are often pulled in many directions, Innovate Niagara provides the external perspective and structure that help businesses step back, assess challenges, and move forward with a clear plan.
Chris Janzen, Director of Client Services at Innovate Niagara, spoke about resources at Regional Innovation Centres:
“It’s about making sure RICs have the right toolkit to enable entrepreneurs to reach the next level by combining the right resources, mentors, and highly driven entrepreneurs.”
Innovate Niagara supports companies in adopting sustainable business practices and circular models by focusing on collaboration and leveraging expertise across the regional innovation network. The team has relied on partners such as Boundless Accelerator and its experts, including Jordan Hunsperger and Christopher Coghlan, to provide the necessary guidance and support.
“The best part about having six RICs is that it expands your network six times. If I don’t know someone, I know one of the other RICs will,” said Janzen
A Circular Vision for Fashion
One of the i.d.e.a. Fund™ clients Janzen spotlighted was Shannon Passero, a Niagara-based entrepreneur who began her clothing company in 2017 with a vision rooted in circular fashion. By upcycling materials sourced from Thailand into high-end fashion pieces, Passero has built a brand that marries artisan craftsmanship with environmental responsibility. Her model aligns with a more sustainable approach to fashion, one that reduces textile waste and energy consumption by giving new life to discarded materials.
Through the i.d.e.a. Fund™, Passero was recognized as a leader in sustainable fashion. Her journey shows how a founder can stay true to tradition while embracing innovation that protects both people and the planet.
Janzen highlighted the value of helping founders think sustainably from the start:
“The role of the RIC is to help entrepreneurs understand the benefits of pursuing sustainable business models, and sometimes it’s about showing them what’s possible and how it can benefit their growth.”
Passero discussed the challenges she faced while running this business, which were related primarily to financing, especially when managing fast-paced product development. Whether it was finances or connecting with national resources, Innovate Niagara acted as a conduit for Passero’s business. The i.d.e.a. Fund™ provided critical support at a time when funding was needed most. With that backing, Passero's team was able to develop and launch their Bandit Collection, which repurposes vintage t-shirts and denim destined for landfills.
“The i.d.e.a. Fund™ gave us the confidence to invest in our goals fully. We were able to lean in and bring over 45 new upcycled designs to market,” said Passero.
This level of creative execution would not have been possible without the financial support that removed the barriers to full-scale prototyping and development.
By diverting textiles from landfills and reducing the demand for new raw materials, the Bandit Collection not only delivered fresh creative expression, but it also demonstrated how circular fashion can reduce environmental harm and resource use. Upcycling as a design philosophy supports low-waste, low-impact production methods that are critical to greening the fashion industry.
“We’re not a startup, but that funding gave us the push to take chances, develop new products, and bring them to market quickly,” said Passero.
In addition to product innovation, Passero redirected the remaining resources toward financial mentorship. She worked closely with a seasoned advisor for over 15 hours, focusing on weekly cash flow management and long-term strategy. She gained insights that immediately impacted how the business was managed.
“It might sound simple but having a seasoned CFO mentor walk me through cash flow week by week, not just the big picture, was transformational. Being able to ask straightforward questions and get direct, honest answers gave me the clarity I didn’t know I needed,” she said.
This hands-on guidance helped Passero optimize operations, refine strategy, and gain a clearer view of her business’s financial health. Insights that are crucial to scaling responsibly.
Catalyzing the Circular Economy
Innovate Niagara sees programs like the i.d.e.a. Fund™ playing a pivotal role in educating entrepreneurs about the circular economy and helping them realize the commercial and environmental value of sustainable practices. It can help diversify supply chains, open new markets, and support the creation of more sustainable products and services. For ventures like Passero’s, circularity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a practical path to resilience and impact.
“The circular economy might move forward quite a bit as a result of the changes we’re seeing, offering a way for businesses to diversify their supply chains and build resilience,” said Janzen.
With this, Janzen also urges innovators to explore sustainability and inclusion as core elements of their business:
“Sustainability and inclusion are not just PR exercises. They are validated strategies that can fundamentally benefit your business.”
He also emphasized that diversity must go beyond demographics. It’s about cross-pollination of ideas, industries, and experience:
“Diversity is not just about racial or ethnic makeup. It is about finding talent from disciplines and academic experiences that are not traditional to the industry, fostering cross-experience thinking and new ways to innovate.”
In addition to Shannon Passero Inc., Innovate Niagara’s third i.d.e.a. FundTM cohort includes 11 other businesses across a variety of sectors: Magnestar Inc., MiON Forest, Merq Incorporated, NerView Surgical Inc., Botanical Symbiotics, The Bare Home Inc., Swish, Easework AI, Drink Wilda, Khetibuddy Agritech Limited, Mave and Chez.
To learn more about Shannon Passero Inc., visit Inspired Design. Quality Clothing. – Post Office by Shannon Passero.
To learn more about the i.d.e.a. Fund™, visit https://www.idea-fund.ca/.
To learn more about FedDev Ontario, visit feddev-ontario.canada.ca.